Seeking a Marriage and Family Therapist or other mental health professional to assist with life's difficulties is a sign of courage and a step in the right direction to deal with the many challenges of life.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy is the name given to a wide range of approaches to understanding and relieving emotional distress. Psychotherapy involves confidential sessions in which individuals, couples or families are provided the opportunity to talk about whatever is troubling them, with the therapist providing a safe environment in which the client(s) feels heard and understood.

What Is a Marriage & Family Therapist?

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are relationship specialists. MFTs are trained to assess, diagnose, and treat individuals, couples, families, and groups to achieve more satisfying and productive marriage, family, and social adjustment. Our practice also includes such areas as premarital counseling, child counseling, and divorce or separation counseling.

Marriage and Family Therapists are licensed by the State of California. The requirements for licensure are a two-year master's degree or a related doctoral degree, 3000 hours of supervised experience, and passing a comprehensive written and oral examination.

A Registered Intern is a person who has an approved masters degree and is in the process of accumulating his or her hours of supervised experience. They are permitted to do counseling with clients while under the direct weekly supervision of a licensed MFT or other licensed practitioner.

The letters MFCC after a therapist's name stand for Marriage, Family, and Child Counselor. Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is synonymous, and can be used interchangeably.

Psychotherapy services of licensed MFTs are eligible for insurance reimbursement in most instances.

Where can I find specific information about cost, length of treatment and results?

These questions are best directed to the therapist that you choose to work with. You can use our Therapist Search to find a therapist. Please contact the therapist to discuss your needs and ask the questions about cost, length of treatment and results.

All of us in the course of our lives go through a series of normal and expected challenges. These challenges have possible pitfalls, and many individuals and families need support and guidance to cope. Events such as a new baby in the family, troubled adolescent, or coping with an aging parent will affect how people function. We may also face other problems and crises such as unemployment, a sudden or chronic illness, divorce, or a death in the family.

People facing these and other such problems can often benefit from the professional services provided by MFTs.

Some signals of distress are:

Overwhelming anxiety or fear

Feelings of hopelessness

Sleep disturbances

Sexual disturbances

Unexplained fatigue

Excessive alcohol or drug use

Lack of interest in previously enjoyed activities

Excessive loss or increase in appetite

Excesive weight gain or loss

Seeking professional assistance is a courageous step and shows an awareness and a willingness to grow and change.

Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) are dedicated to advancing the welfare of individuals and families. They respect the rights of those persons seeking their assistance, and make reasonable efforts to ensure that their services are used appropriately.

MFTs do not disclose client confidences except as required by law, or when permission has been granted by the client.

MFTs terminate or transfer a client when it is reasonably clear to the therapist that the client is not benefiting from their therapeutic relationship.

MFTs are legally and ethically prohibited from having sexual contact with clients or their clients' spouses. For further information, the California Department of Consumer Affairs publishes a pamphlet about this entitled, "Professional Therapy Never Includes Sex." To obtain copies of this pamphlet, contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences, at 400 "R" Street, Suite #3150, Sacramento, CA 95814